Air-line oiler



July 10, 1951. M O'FARRELL 2,560,239

AIR LINE OILER Filed June l, 1949 mimawmw uumi i 1 A y L I 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII E {will} ATTORNEY Patented July 10, 1951 Matthew oiiarrell, Detroit, Mich.,

Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company,

assigner to New York,

N. Y., 'a corporation of New `lersey Y Application JuneV 1, 1949, serial No. 96,579

This invention relates to lubricating devices and more particularly to an air line oiler-which supplies a measured amount of lubricantl to the compressed air stream leading to a rock drill or pneumatic tool. s 1 Y The conventional type of air line oiler in present use generally provides for the constant introduction of lubricant into the air stream during the entire period of tool operation. t also frequently vhappens in an air lline oiler of such type that the air pressure in the reservoir thereof, is equal to the static pressure of the air stream when the tool is not in operation. Thus when the tool operation begins, therefis a sudden drop in the air pressure at the reservoir orifice which connects said reservoir to the air stream, and the air pressure in the reservoir forces out a slug of lubricant of a variable and usually too large size. While such air line oilers have points of advantage, it is believed that too frequently they tend to overlubricate, resulting in waste of lubricant, higher maintenance cost, and less eicient tool operation.

The main object of this invention is to provide an air line oiler which automatically supplies a measured amount of lubricant to the compressed air stream of a tool, each time the throttle valve of said tool is opened.

1 Another object of the invention is to provide an air line oiler which is simple in structure, has low maintenance cost, and promotes more ecient tool operation.

Other objects and features of the invention Will be apparent from the -iollowing description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 isa longitudinal section of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross section as seen of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of. the plunger arrangement of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a partial section view as seen from line 4;-4 of Fig. 1, looking downward; and,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a plunger actuating .member of the invention. .-Inthe illustrative embodiment of the invention the air line oiler generally indicated as I0, comprises a Vreservoir II,v a plunger portion I2, and an air lcor'idui't portion I3.

The reservoir I I is a totally enclosed container of any desired capacity, having the plunger portion I2 projecting downwardly from the top inner surface and ending. .a short idistance from the bottom inner surface; In the lower wall of the'reservoir II, and directly below the plunger portion I2, is an opening klli which is threaded to receive a plug I5. The purpose of the opening I4 is two-fold namely, to provide a means for finish machining a bore I6 in the plunger from line 2-2 portion I2, and to providean auxiliary means for filling the reservoir with lubricant. In 'the upper wall is arranged an opening having -a vrafi-ller plug Il which can be removed for the convenient filling of the reservoir. As the outllo'w of libr-ie cant vfrom the reservoir tends to create a pressure lower than that Aof the atmosphere, a 'check valve I8 embodied in fillerplug I'I, allows the inflow of air. from the atmosphere through pas'- sage I9 to compensate for this loss and thus establish equilibrium, spring 2li vmaintaining valve I8 normally in closed position.

The air conduitportion I3 extends across the top of the reservoir I I, is tubular in form and `has a threaded section vat each end for connection with air line 2l. Positioned within the cnduit portion I3, is a plunger actuator 22 in the fo'rm of a vane or paddle, which is pivotally mounted to rotate about mid-portion, by means of a hub and shaft arrangement 23` extending transverse the conduit portion I3. The lower end of the 'actuator-22 is forked to erigage'an end of a plunger 2li, which is slidably positioned in a bushing 25 located in the bore I6 of the plunger portion I2.

The plunger 24 has a passageway 26, the up-a per end of which opens within the conduit I3, the lower end terminating in a chamber 21 Which has an aperture 28 in the bottom surface. ball type check valve 29 within chamber 21 is nor; mally held against the aperture 28 by means of a compression spring 30.

Bushing 25 is maintained Within the plunger portion I2 `by means o f threads 3| located toward the lower end thereof- `and which engage mating threads in the end of the plunger portion I2. A t the lower end 'of the bushing 25 is a chamber 32'havingl an aperture 33 in the bottom surface, and containing a ball type check valve 34 which is normally held against the aperture y33 by mea-ns of a compression spring 35. Another aperture 35 is 4located in the top' surface of chamber 32. It is to be noted that aperture 33 is open to' lubricant in the region near the bottom of the v'reservoir, Yand further, tliat springs 30 and 35 have tapered diameters to allow compression to a maximum amount. Just above the chamber 32, is a chamber -31 which is of variable volumeand is defined by the top surface of chamber 32, the bottom surface di plunger 24 and the" approximate diameter of the plunger r2li'. Apertures 28 and se Yconnect with Chamber' 31. y..Pusino-neri within vchamber 3l' is a compression spring 38 which isarranged to urge plunger 24 toward aV non-'operative position. A shoulder 39 located on ,theijexterior surface of bushing Zilintheregion of chamber 3l, is"` adapted to* abut the bottom end of plunger portion I2. In order to prevent leakage of compressed air into the reservoir II,

a bleeder passageway 3 leads to the latmosphere 3 from a small chamber 4| plunger 2 4.l -V

Considering noW the operation of the air line oiler, Figs. 1 and 3 illustrate the relation of the which surrounds parts in non-operative position, which position.

will be maintained whether or not compressed air is present in the air conduit I3. When theV throttle valve of the tool (not shown) is turned on, air will flow through the conduit from the right as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and

in the latter chamber being driven into passage- Way 26 and forcing any lubricant therein into the conduit I3 Where it is picked up by the air flow and carried to the tool in operation.

`When the throttle is turned off, the now of live air over the actuator 22 ceases, permitting spring 38 to force the plunger 24 upwards to non-operative position, causing a pressure differential between the volume of chamber 31 and the volume above the lubricant in the reservoir, with the result that lubricant will be forced past check valve 34, displacing lubricant in chamber 32' which will flow by way of aperture 33 into chamber 31. The plunger 24 and the actuator 22 thereafter assume original or non-operativ position.

A It is thus seen that the plunger, in conjunction with the check valves, acts somewhat like a positive deplacement pump, and is so arranged that each time the throttle of the tool is turned on, a: given amountof lubricant will be introduced into the air compressed stream flowing to the air operated tool, such amount being constant andV independent of the length of timethe tool throttle is in onposition. What is claimed is:

l. An air line oiler comprising an enclosed 1ubricant reservoir having a iilling means, and a plunger portion projecting downwardly from the top inner surface and having a bore, a bushing arranged in .the bore of said plunger portion, a chamber positioned at the lower end of said bushing and including a check valve means, a conduit portion positioned on the upper surface of said reservoir and adapted to be connected into ,an air line leading to an air operated tool, a plunger means arranged in part within said bushing and said conduit portion,v said plunger means having aN chamber positioned at the lower end of said plunger in which is disposed a check valve means, and a passageway extending from the plunger chamber to the end of the plunger located in the conduit portion, said plunger vbeing further positioned in the bushing to form an intermediate chamber between the other chambers, a compression spring positioned in said intermediate chamber and adapted to urge the plunger to non-operative position, and a plunger actuatingrvane positioned in said conduit portion andA adapted to depress said plunger each time air is caused to now through said conduit portion toward the air operated tool and thereby supply a given amount of lubricant from the reservoir to the air stream. Y Y M 2, A lubricating device comprising a lubricant reservoir, a conduit portion associated with the reservoir, a plunger arranged in part Within the conduit portion and the reservoir and having a 1 'chamber at one end and a passageway leading from the chamber to the conduit portion, plunger supporting means for` slidably supporting the plunger within the reservoir and having a chamber at the lower end, resilient means in a space separatingV the lower end of the plunger from the chamber in the plunger supporting means, said chambers being connected to the resilient means space by aperture means, the chamber in the plunger supporting means having another aperture opening unto the interior of the reservoir, a'

check valve located in each chamber arranged to permit admission of lubricant into the chamber, and a plunger actuating means arranged within the conduit portion and responsive to the flow of pressure iiuid therethrough to move the plunger and force a given amount of lubricant into the conduit portion.

3. A lubricating device comprising an'enclosed lubricant reservoir, a conduit portion affixed adjacent the reservoir, plunger means arranged in part within the conduit portion and the reservoir andincluding chamber means at one end and a passageway leading from the chamber toward the other end of the plunger means and having a point of egress within the conduit portion, bushing means positioned within the reservoir` for slidably supporting the plunger means /and having a chamber at the lower end, spring means in a cavity formed between the end of the plunger means and the bushing chamber, said chambers each having an aperture connectingl with the cavity, the bushing chamber having an additional aperture for connection with the interior of the reservoir, check valve means ari ranged in each chamber to admit lubricant into the chamber, and a plunger actuating means positioned in the conduit portion and responsive to the flow of pressure fluid therein to move the MATTHEW O FARRELL REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the Yfile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Y Date Number Name 1,156,768 Fletcher 1 Oct. 121915 1,721,231 Osborne July 16, 1929 2,205,559 Heftler June 25, 1940 2,430,361 OFarrell Nov. 4, 1947 2,497,822

Martin Feb. 14,1950 

